The present invention relates generally to oiling systems for internal combustion engines, and more specifically, to an air purging system for use with a two-stroke internal combustion engine.
Typically, two-stroke outboard marine engines did not have a separate oiling system. That is, these prior art engines required pre-mixing lubricant and fuel so that the lubricant dissolves in the fuel to lubricate the engine. This required consistent, accurate measuring and agitation of the mixture. There are many disadvantages to the prior art system of pre-mixing lubricant and fuel. For example, since various two-stroke engines require different mix concentrations, many outboard marine engine owners who also own other two-stroke engine equipment, such as various lawn and garden equipment and ATV""s, may store several different concentrations of oil/fuel mixture. This is not only an aggravation to the owner, but is also problematic if the containers become mixed up and the owner uses the wrong concentration for a particular two-stroke engine. While this is not catastrophic, if run over time with the wrong concentration, a two-stroke engine wears excessively.
The present invention is for use in a unique lubrication system for two-stroke engines. Such a lubrication system must not only provide lubrication to each cylinder of the engine, it must also provide lubrication to the fuel system to properly lubricate the fuel metering and injection system. As is well known, air entrained in the oil, can hinder a properly operating lubrication system. It is therefore desirable to remove any air from the oil, while preventing any such air in the oil system from being fed to the cylinders of the engine. As is known, air in such a system can prevent oil flow, especially where check valves are used, resulting in a phenomena known as xe2x80x9cair lock.xe2x80x9d If an oil passage becomes air locked, the operator would have no way of knowing that the affected cylinder is not receiving sufficient oil, and continued operation of the engine will result in severe damage to that particular cylinder.
It would therefore be desirable to have an air purging system that can purge air from the oil system while providing oil to the fuel system components.
The present invention provides an oiling distribution system for an oil pumping system of an internal combustion engine. The system includes an oil distribution manifold for distributing engine oil to each cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The oil distribution manifold further includes a fuel system outlet that purges air from the oil distribution manifold along with oil to the fuel system of the internal combustion engine. The system also includes an adapter having therein an air purging passage in an internal chamber. The air purging passage allows air entrained in the oil entering the internal chamber to be transported to the oil distribution manifold. All of which overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a base to adapt an oil distribution system to an oil pumping system of an internal combustion engine is provided. The base includes an oil outlet end in fluid communication with the oil distribution system. The base also includes a check valve located between the oil inlet end and the oil outlet end to regulate the flow of pressurized oil to the oil outlet end and an air purging passage that allows air entrained in the pressurized oil to escape to the oil distribution manifold through an air outlet. The air purging passage includes the air outlet in the oil outlet end and an air inlet in the oil inlet end. The oil inlet end is in fluid communication with the oil pumping system.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an oil distribution manifold and an oiling system adapter base coupled thereto are provided. The oil distribution manifold and the oiling system adapter base form an oiling distribution system for use with a two-stroke internal combustion engine. The oil distribution manifold includes a plurality of cylinder oiling outlets to supply oil to each cylinder of an engine and a fuel system oiling outlet to supply oil and any air in the oil system to a fuel system of the internal combustion engine. The oiling system adapter base which is coupled to the oil distribution manifold includes a cylindrical chamber and a bleed slot to purge air from the cylindrical chamber to the fuel system oiling outlet.
The invention also includes a method for purging air to a fuel system of an internal combustion engine. The method includes supplying oil to an internal passage having a check valve therein and periodically allowing oil to open the check valve and pass through the internal chamber. As air may accumulate when the check valve is closed, the method further includes bleeding air through a bleed slot and routing the air through the bleed slot to a fuel system of an internal combustion engine.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for bleeding air from the oil system of an internal combustion engine wherein a distribution manifold includes a centrally located dome having a plurality of cylinder outlet outlets and a fuel system outlet is coupled to an adapter having a cylinder chamber and a bleed slot. The method further includes the step of providing an air outlet port in communication with a fuel system outlet port. Oil from an oil pumping system is injected into a frusto-conical oil inlet port of the adapter. A check valve housed within a cylindrical chamber of the adapter regulates the flow of oil to the distribution manifold. The method then bleeds air entrained in the oil through the bleed slot between the check valve and the oil inlet port to the oil distribution manifold.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.